Of course, we knew that AI would determine prominently at this 12 months’s CES. It’s the expertise story du jour in spite of everything. But as CES veterans, we’ve seen such glowing guarantees of the subsequent large factor ultimately fizzle. 3D televisions, anybody? Thankfully there was loads of meat-and-potatoes PC tech on show in Las Vegas to fulfill the cravings of PC lovers right here and now.
Whether you’re a highway warrior, a PC builder, a lover of video games each previous and new, or a content material creator, we noticed some really thrilling merchandise for PC customers of each stripe, and, sure, a few of it even consists of AI.
MSI MEG 321URX QD-OLED monitor
Brad Chacos/IDG
MSI may’ve left effectively alone with the MEG 321URX QD-OLED monitor. I imply, it’s spectacular as hell simply off pure specs alone: This 32-inch, 4K, 240Hz OLED monitor with DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification and 99% protection of the DCI-P3 shade spectrum is already higher than everybody owns besides the 0.01 p.c of PC lovers, in a kind issue these lovers have been begging for. GIMME!
But MSI didn’t cease there. The firm additionally infused the monitor with a number of AI capabilities, probably the most intriguing of which is AI Skylight. In the ultra-popular League of Legends, AI Skylight retains tabs on the place your enemies are elsewhere on the battlefield, cluing you in to incoming hostiles by way of massive purple skulls with directional indicators so that you’re by no means caught flat-footed. MSI’s additionally engaged on coaching the AI function in different esports video games like Dota 2, whereas a separate AI-powered lightbar throughout the underside of the show gives fast visible indicators of issues like your well being in League and your ammo depend in Counter-Strike (higher make these previous couple of pictures depend).
Better but (kinda)? Since the MEG 321URX does all its processing inside the monitor itself, it skirts present cheat detection software program so that you received’t catch a ban for utilizing the instruments. –Brad Chacos
AMD Ryzen 8500G
AMD
Six cores, 12 threads, 5.0GHz turbo clock speeds, no AI: $179. Why would we award a Best of CES award to a chip that lacks Ryzen AI, when AMD is the primary to release an AI NPU on a desktop processor?
Color me/us a bit skeptical about AI proper now, when its worth hasn’t but been confirmed. And the $229 that AMD is charging for the practically an identical 8600G is $50 greater than the 8500G, which at $179 simply looks like a stable worth. As for Intel, its 14th-gen Raptor Lake Refresh parts simply really feel a bit too much like the 13th-gen components proper now, missing a stable gen-over-gen enchancment. Maybe additional testing will change our minds. –Mark Hachman
MSI Claw
Brad Chacos/Foundry
The battle amongst handheld gaming PCs continues to rage on, and at CES 2024, an thrilling new entrant appeared: MSI’s Claw. Not solely is that this MSI’s first leap into the hand-held area, it additionally marks the primary handheld to function Intel’s Core Ultra processor with Arc graphics, which seems to be to tackle AMD’s dominance within the area. With my restricted time on the present flooring I used to be impressed by the construct high quality and design, and the software program appears to be coming alongside properly, as effectively. Performance and battery life are nonetheless be decided, which might make or break a tool, however I consider we now have a viable competitor to the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. — Adam Patrick Murray
MSI’s Claw transportable gaming PC is my decide for CES. Not for what it’s (as a result of frankly, its chipset is the one fascinating factor about it), however for what it represents. The Steam Deck appeared like an experiment two years in the past, and being shortly copied by smaller indies that relied upon crowdfunding didn’t change that. But now large gamers like Lenovo, Asus, and MSI desire a piece of the pie, and may compete at costs beneath $1,000. It’s clear that the transportable gaming PC is a kind issue with some endurance. — Michael Crider
Lenovo’s prepper-friendly wi-fi mouse and keyboard
Mark Hachman / IDG
The most uncommon idea I’ve ever seen must be Lenovo’s hand-cranked mouse and spinning dial wireless keyboard. The 12,800 DPI wi-fi mouse has a pull-out crank that, should you bodily spin it round sufficient instances, will generate 30 minutes of energy. The wi-fi keyboard works in a similar way however as a substitute of a pull-out crank, you simply spin the Surface Dial-like knob on the upper-left nook of the deck. Spin this dangerous boy for 5 minutes and increase! You now have sufficient juice for 30 minutes. It’s positively an fascinating idea that speaks to the prepper zeitgeist, however I’m undecided if it’ll ever be prepared for liftoff. After all, it the battery is useless why not simply plug into the PC? –Ashley Biancuzzo
ROG NUC gaming PC
Asus
Having a 3rd child in 2023 was an excellent pleasure, however it does imply area is now getting a bit tight round my house. Suddenly, my big gaming rig is wanting a bit outsized — just like the equal of Hollywood’s iconic Mount Rushmore lumped on the ground between a pile of garish-looking comfortable toys and definitely-now-a-choking-hazard LEGO blocks.
Thankfully, Asus has fastened my drawback by saying the ROG NUC mini-PC at CES 2024 — and sure, we’ve all seen mini-PCs earlier than, however it is a little completely different, with a selection of Intel Core Ultra 9 or Core Ultra 7 processors, Nvidia RTX 4060 or 4070 GPUs, and as much as 32GB DDR5 / 5600MHz RAM. It’s acquired me salivating on the prospect of the form of high-end gaming I’ll be capable of do on a PC whose case is an apartment-friendly 2.5 liters in quantity.
Although small, the ROG NUC’s connectivity seems to be state-of-the-art, too. The desktop has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, and a minimum of six USB-A ports, a Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI port, 2x show ports, twin 3.5mm audio jacks, and a full-sized SD card reader. No phrase from Asus about pricing but, so fingers crossed it’s going to land in a hip-pocket-friendly value zone. –Dominic Bayley
Dual-screen laptops (Lenovo Yoga Book 9i & Asus Zenbook Duo)
Asus
I like display screen actual property—and so I’ve all the time hated lengthy classes on only a laptop computer. But two new dual-screen notebooks proven at this 12 months’s CES are making me rethink my stance — they provide the multi-monitor expertise with out the effort of really packing and organising a conveyable show. I’m a fan of Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i, which is a bit smaller and gives extra flexibility with the removable keyboard’s positioning, however Asus’s equally luxe but cheaper (by $500!) Zenbook Duo seems to be simply as tempting. I don’t want a brand new laptop computer, however I now need one. –Alaina Yee
The two full-sized OLED screens on Lenovo’s brand-new Yoga Book 9i laptop computer are completely beautiful and versatile as hell. You can use it like a traditional clamshell laptop computer or a dual-screen PC setup. If you’re going for the latter, the screens may be positioned both horizontally or vertically. The entire bundle weighs just below 3 kilos as effectively, which is spectacular given the extra show. It even options the newest 14th-Gen Intel Core U-class CPU and a most of 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. I’m actually wanting ahead to making an attempt out this gadget myself. –Ashley Biancuzzo
Asus BTF ecosystem
Brad Chacos/IDG
We declared the War on Cables the hottest PC trend of 2023 after Computex final summer season, and at CES 2024, the idea acquired actual. MSI and Maingear had been busy exhibiting off their “Project Zero” initiative for a cable-free desktop PC, however Asus’ rival idea — dubbed “BTF,” for “Back to the Future” — impressed me probably the most.
While all these ideas transfer most wiring to the again of the motherboard for a pristine aesthetic, solely Asus makes use of a proprietary 600W PCIe high-power connector on its graphics playing cards as effectively, letting you fit them into the motherboard with none energy cables poking out from the frontside, for a very wi-fi inside (effectively, besides the tubing for AIO CPU coolers, natch). It’s a wickedly clear look, although Asus motherboards will nonetheless work simply effective with any GPU should you’d like.
Asus expects to begin promoting bundled BTF kits (motherboard, graphics card, case) below its TUF model someday round February, whereas a higher-end ROG Strix BTF bundle will land late on this quarter. Even higher, Asus already signed up 9 case companions — together with heavyweights like Corsair, Lian Li, Cooler Master, Silverstone, and BeQuiet — who’ve pledged to assist the BTF venture. The War on Cables is starting in earnest. –Brad Chacos
Hyperkin Mega 95
Hyperkin
Grab these saggy pants, flip your hat backwards, and mud off the previous containers of Sega Genesis cartridges. Hyperkin is right here with the Mega 95, a brand new handheld console able to taking part in your previous Sega Genesis cartridges. Modeled after a Genesis controller, it comes with a 5-inch display screen and as much as 10 hours of battery life. The display screen may also be able to toggling between 4:3 and 16:9 side ratio modes. Eat my shorts, Genesis Nomad.
This new Mega 95 is seemingly a handheld model of Hyperkin’s MegaRetroN HD console, however with some upgrades. Not solely will it can help you take your video games on the go, however it additionally comes with a dock to connect with your TV by way of HDMI and two ports for controllers. Get prepared to fireplace up Sonic once more and eventually accumulate these final Chaos Emeralds. –Sam Singleton
Thermaltake Tower 300
Foundry
The Thermaltake Tower 300 stood out in a sea of “just another box” PC circumstances this 12 months. No six sides right here, we’re speaking octagonal, with depraved airflow from backside to prime, except you’ve acquired it on it’s aspect with the optionally available stand that’s giving me actual Doom Slayer power-up vibes. The actual kicker right here is that whereas the Tower 300 can assist MiniITX motherboards, it’s designed across the MicroATX kind issue which is one thing we haven’t seen a lot of recently. Oh, and should you don’t just like the Thermaltake 25th Anniversary Blue, you’ll be able to go for conventional white and black, but in addition yellow, inexperienced, and turquoise! –Keith May
Lenovo SupposeBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid
Lenovo
CES 2024 had its justifiable share of fascinating laptop computer configurations and kind components – take the 2 multi-monitor laptops above as prime examples – however Lenovo’s SupposeBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid gives its personal very distinctive tackle the style. As a Windows laptop computer the specs are fairly normal: Core 7 Ultra CPU, Arc graphics, 32GB RAM, 1TB storage. What makes it stand out is how cleverly it capabilities as each a Windows laptop computer, when the 14.5 inch OLED panel is docked within the keyboard, or as a traditional Android pill when the panel is undocked, full with a built-in Snapdragon processor, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and assist for contact or pen enter.
Yes, all of the PC components are within the keyboard! That implies that the keyboard itself may be hooked up to a big monitor to kind but a 3rd configuration that’s suited to stationary desktop work. How intelligent is that? –Katherine Stevenson
2024 Razer Blade 16
Razer
Every 12 months Razer’s Blade 14 gaming laptop computer leaves me a bit awestruck, its portability, power-to-size ratio, and high quality of its visuals simply appears to all meld collectively completely — plus, it arguably gives the most effective bang for buck in Razer’s lineup. This 12 months, nonetheless, it’s the laptop computer’s bigger sibling, the Razer Blade 16, that’s actually caught my eye — the explanation? Its OLED show.
I’ve been ready for OLED shows to come back of age, and go one higher than the 15-inch QHD 240Hz show we noticed within the 2023 Razer Blade 15, and the Blade 16 does simply that, upping the ante to a whopping QHD+ (2560×1600) OLED show with a 240Hz refresh charge in a bigger 16-inch panel, in what Razer claims is the primary of its sort ever made. Larger, extra fluid, much more gorgeously rendered OLED visuals? Yes, please!
Under the hood, the top-tier Blade 16 additionally seems to be completely ripped, with a 14th-gen Intel Core i9–14900HX CPU and GeForce RTX 4090 GPU onboard. It’s loaded with the form of {hardware} that would make me a legend, if not a demi-god, in video games like, Counterstrike 2 and Fortnite. –Dominic Bayley
MemryX MX3
Mark Hachman / IDG
The MemryX MX3 is the primary third-party AI accelerator card to land in a PC. The firm’s debut effort could also be of modest worth (MemryX claims 40 TFLOPs per card, which isn’t that completely different than among the NPU energy that chip distributors presently boast.)
But we could also be on the cusp of a second the place a brand new era of AI chip startups launch AI accelerator playing cards for the PC. Lenovo is already planning to include them in a ThinkCentre desktop, and says there are extra on the market than we’ve heard of. MemryX will not be the most effective of this bunch, however it’s on the floor of a motion that will alter the panorama of the PC. –Mark Hachman
Hardware we may do with out: Transparent TVs
LG
I noticed clear screens at CES greater than a decade in the past. They had been simply as dumb then as they’re now. Outside of some extraordinarily area of interest functions in promoting and public signage, there’s merely no motive a client would wish to have a look at each a TV or monitor-sized display screen (with a worse picture than a regular one) and no matter’s behind it. Which is often a clean wall. There are makes use of for this expertise — sensible glasses come to thoughts, to say nothing of heads-up shows in every kind of automobiles. But making an attempt to place them in shoppers’ houses reeks of an trade determined for a gimmick to push. –Michael Crider